Tag: John Ramsey

No face to face, no letters of resignation, just a couple of emails on Friday from John Ramsey and Mike Rutherford to the boss Drew Deener that they were resigning from their sports radio talk show on ESPN 680.

Outta here. Gone. Effective immediately.

No advance notices, no apologies to the listeners, nothing that would be considered anywhere close to a graceful exit. They were done.

So abruptly that many University of Louisville fans thought it was an April Fool’s joke, occurring on the eve of April 1. Others speculating that Ramsey and Rutherford had been enticed to another radio station and were unable to discuss their plans because of contractual obligations.

Turns out, as Rutherford explains on his web site, that working multiple jobs on a taxing schedule was apparently taking a toll. Something had to give, and it turned out to be the radio show. Ramsey, who was originally a solo act, may have decided that the show had limited potential without Rutherford.

The most surprising thing about the episode was the speed with which the departures happened. Coming as a shock for some listeners who tuned in day after day for their take on UofL sports.

Imagine Drew Deener’s shock at learning about the resignations via email, two of his most valued personalities leaving immediately, not bothering to give him or the listeners any advance notice.

Ramsey was probably the biggest homer on sports talk radio, leaning heavily on Rutherford for facts and insights. Rutherford, meanwhile, had a radio voice that could only be described as monotonal and grating at best.

The fact that they were both longtime UofL fans, with easy access to Louisville coaches and other personalities, made the show an entertaining one while filling a local media void.

Ramsey was never bashful when it came to professing his devotion to the Cardinals or making his contempt known for the Wildcats. Rutherford, on the other hand, was obviously one of the most knowledgeable and respected sources on UofL sports in the community.

A sudden, strange and awkward departure. Their listeners, and their boss, deserved better.

John Ramsey, a longtime local radio personality and comedian, has joined the ESPN 680 radio lineup. He’s a staunch University of Louisville fan with the knowledge of the local sports scene to quickly become a force.

He’s going to provide a strong counter-punch to Matt Jones, the biased University of Kentucky fan, blogger and commentator, who delights as much in disparaging UofL athletics as he does in covering UK sports.

One difference is that Ramsey, a Ballard grad, actually played sports, including football and track. And he’s knowledgeable, with a quick wit and a wide assortment of skills

Ramsey strongly favors UofL even though he was once a member of UK’s track team. “What I didn’t like was the whole elitist thing with UK where they didn’t want to play UofL for so many years, like they were so far above us,” he said Monday on his 10 a.m. radio show. “It’s all about relationships with me. I got to know UofL coaches like Denny Crum, Howard Schnellenberger and other coaches over the years, and I’m a UofL fan.”

Among Ramsey’s considerable talents are his skills as an impressionist, often mimicking Howard Schnellenberger, Muhammad Ali and the late Howard Cosell. He had the hosts in stitches on ESPN’s Early Birds show with a recent Schnelly call-in. Ramsey and Ali are, in fact, close friends. Watch for his exposure to quickly expand at ESPN.

He continues to host WAVE 3 Listens Live daily at noon on TV, and has worked for several local radio stations over the last 15 years. He also is vice president of marketing and government affairs for the Ali Center and has worked in sports marketing at UofL. He also has performed at the Comedy Caravan.